EDMONTON, AB (December 7, 2015): Even with amendments made to Bill 6, the legislation still has not been consulted on with farmers, and there is still tremendous uncertainty about what the legislation means for family farms and ranches across Alberta, the Wildrose Official Opposition said today.
Exemptions for family members and volunteers concerning WCB coverage and OHS standards provides some relief, but since most farms hire seasonal workers, many questions remain and farmers still deserve full consultation before passing legislation.
“The thousands of farmers and ranchers who have shown up to so-called consultation sessions held on Bill 6 have told the government that this is the wrong way to govern,” Wildrose MLA for Rimbey–Rocky Mountain House–Sundre Jason Nixon said. “The government needs to listen to the people, and either refer Bill 6 to committee, or kill it outright.”
Wildrose has not had the opportunity to consult with farmers on the amendments but will do so on a telephone town hall tonight. The amendments listed are longer than the original bill.
“Almost every family farm needs seasonal workers, which means there are almost as many questions today as there were yesterday,” Nixon said. “I am worried that with the uncertainty hanging in the air around Bill 6, our second largest industry will be directly hurt by the government ramming through this legislation.”